Scherzer's success making history

Detroit Tigers starter Max Scherzer delivers against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013, in Detroit. Scherzer recorded his 18th win, 6-3 over the Royals. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera isn’t the only one making history for the Tigers this season.

Pitcher Max Scherzer tacked on another tally in the win column that raises his record to 18-1 for the season, as the Tigers beat the Royals, 6-3, Sunday.

“Both of them are on a roll that you don’t see very often,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Scherzer and Cabrera’s season performance. “Tigers’ fans could go years without ever seeing something like that again. How long has it been since someone was 18-1 in Detroit?”

Scherzer allowed two runs on just five hits while striking out four in eight innings.

Advertisement

“He attacked a good-hitting team that’s been very aggressive,” Leyland said. “For the most part, we kept some of the guys off that can run. He changed speeds pretty good. He located pretty well.

“I thought he was vintage Max today. He was really, really good. The two starting pitchers, between the two of them were 22-1. You don’t see that very often. That’s pretty amazing.”

Scherzer did break one of his streaks, though. He only struck out four batters that broke a 24-game streak of five-or-more strikeouts to begin a season. This streak doesn’t compare to what right fielder Torii Hunter believes. He thinks this season is still history for him.

“Man, Scherzer is 18-1,” Hunter said. “I told him, I said, ‘I’ve been around some good players, Johan Santana, Jered Weaver, (John) Lackey, but what you’re doing right now is history for me.’

“I’ve been playing 17 years and I’ve never seen what he’s doing, 18-1, never played with anybody like that. So I’m pulling for him to get that 20 in the next two starts.”

According to Elias Sports Bureau, winning 18 of 19 decisions ties Scherzer with Roger Clemens (2001), Roy Face (1959) and Don Newcombe (1955) for the second-best mark in MLB history.

“The team is playing well every time I go out and pitch,” Scherzer said of being 18-1 for the season. “Miggy (Miguel Cabrera) always seems to show up and hit bombs and do damage every single time I go out there.

“The rest of the lineup does their job. Guys make great plays behind me. For me, I go out there and I just give the team a chance to win. When I’m able to do that, the team always seems to rally around that.”

Scherzer said that his fastball command was on point during the game and he pitched efficiently enough for the Tigers to be in a situation to win the game.

“For me, it was the command of the fastball,” Scherzer said. “I really felt like I did a great job of commanding both sides of the plate against lefties and righties.

“That allowed me to be successful and not walk anybody. When you combine it with pitching with four pitches again. My slider, change-up and curveball were all really good today… When I’m able to give the team a chance to win — Miggy hits a bomb — the rest of the line-up does their job that just makes us a great team.”

Scherzer said that what Cabrera is able to do with a bat “is stupid.” The first pitch Cabrera saw was a two-run home run to left field.

“What he’s able to do at the plate is — you’re getting to watch the greatest in the game right now,” Scherzer said of Cabrera’s performance against the Royals. “It’s something special.

“For all of us, we enjoy the heck out of it. We’re just glad he’s on our team.”

Leyland feels like the spectators are able to watch something special from both a hitter and a batter.

“It’s kind of a neat year. The neatest thing about it is you’re seeing a pitcher and a hitter. You’re seeing the offensive side as well as the pitching side,” Leyland said. “You might have two pitchers one year that have great years, or two hitters. But you’ve got one of each and it’s kind of neat.”

With an 18-1 season, Scherzer still wouldn’t want to face Cabrera. Scherzer would throw everything he had available at Cabrera and if it didn’t work then he’d hit him.

“I said, ‘if you take me deep then the next one is between the two and the four because I don’t want to face you,” Scherzer said. “I might as well just hit you.”